5 years ago today I had my decompression surgery with duraplasty (using tissue from my scalp) and a laminectomy. My surgery was done by Dr. Heiss at the NIH. My syrinx had been from C2 to T4, but disappeared completely in the months after surgery. My symptoms stopped their progression, except for aging with a damaged spinal cord- I'd had my symptoms for over 10 years before surgery. Some of the very latest symptoms that had gotten worse in the couple of months before surgery improved. I stopped getting random fevers with flu-like symptoms, too. My main symptoms now are chronic pain in my upper body and upper body spasticity. I work full time, which is hard but very fulfilling for me. For those of you recently diagnosed with Chiari and syringomyelia needing surgery, surgery may not ease all of your symptoms, but when it does what it should, is a great relief to stop the progression. Do your research and get an excellent surgeon based on others' reports.